A Way Out Does Not Support Matchmaking for Co-op

By Rob Gordon 24 May 2018

In a pre-E3 EA press conference full of some of the biggest hitters in the industry, it was surprise announcement A Way Out that left an impression with many gamers once the show had closed. A title that revolves around escaping from prison, the game from the creators of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons offered up a bold focus on co-operative gameplay. Now, it’s been confirmed that the game will not offer up online matchmaking for players.

The news was revealed by director Josef Fares, who was speaking in an interview with Eurogamer. There, Fares went into more detail about exactly how A Way Out will work, and explained that the game’s focus on co-operative gameplay does not align with online co-op with strangers. “It’s cocky,” explained Fares in the interview. “But the experience is made to be co-op. This is the game.”

Of course, A Way Out is taking co-operative multiplayer to extremes that are very rarely covered by video games. There is no single player option at this moment in time, instead relying purely on co-operation between friends, be it in the form of local co-op or online multiplayer.

Although this may seem restrictive, so far A Way Out has been receiving good praise based on its early footage. The game’s initial trailer piqued the interest of many gamers, with a lot of interest in what seems to be a solid story and no doubt some compelling gameplay elements.

It certainly helps that the game comes from a director with a solid pedigree. Fares garnered huge praise for Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, and the title ended up being seen by many as one of the best games of 2013. Should A Way Out follow in the footsteps of Fares’ previous game, then gamers could be in for a treat.

That said, some may feel as though the lack of online matchmaking is certainly a negative, particularly given the ever-increasing expectations of being able to play games with random online companion. Let’s see exactly what A Way Out has in store, and why it is so vital that the game is played with a known ally instead of via matchmaking needs.

A Way Out is currently set for release in early 2018 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.